Missing
by Zundra
Summary: "Lilly had offered going to his parents alone, claiming she wanted them all to be ready to move if something happened. That was only partly true though. Today, now, she only wanted her partner back, and doing this with anyone, anyone not him, just wasn't an option right now." **Last chapter has been reposted, it's actually here now.**
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey guys. I can't believe i just started, and posted this story. Hope you will like it so far. Heads up: I'm not a native english speaker, so, well...

Please R&R

Disclaimer: Don't own anything that has anything to do with cold case really. Would have loved a dvd box though.

* * *

She stopped the car and looked up to the house belonging to the couple she, for the last month, had thought about contacting. She had thought about calling Rosa Valens, her partners mom, for the last month. Why? Because her partners, and probably her best friends, birthday was coming up, and the guys at work had decided to put together some sort of surprise party. Her job would be simple enough; make sure he gets there. He wouldn't ask too many questions if she asked him to come for a birthday drink, or to take an interview with her. Questions, sure, but not too many. She could handle that. There was one problem that could arise though, plans with his family. That was why she had to contact his family, and figured his mom could tell her what she needed to know.

Today she was finally about to meet, not only Rosa but Ramiro too, but for an entirely different reason than she had wanted to. Because today, Detective Lilly Rush, was here to tell them that her partner, their son was missing.

* * *

_Earlier that morning:_

_The guys in the Philadelphia police departments cold case team is sitting in the break room talking about their current case and getting some coffee, all except for Scotty Valens, who haven't arrived yet. It's Nick Vera who first comment on his absence: "Almost an hour late, hm, that's gotta be a new record or something right?" "Your record is one and a half hour, so it's only a personal record" Comes quickly from Kat Miller, who sits across from him. Lilly look at her sideways and ask; "You doing wild guessing here or you keep track of that?" After Kat confirms that, yes, she does keep track of that, Nick and Kat heads out for an interview with the victims sister, Will Jeffries starts trying to track down the brother, Lilly heads out to talk to the parents, picking Scotty up on her way there, and John "boss" Stillman starts on some paperwork._

_Lilly arrives at Scotty's apartment building and notice his car is parked at his spot before she enters the building and heads up to Scotty's apartment. She had started to worry some, cause an hour late, that's a while with no word, but now as she has seen the car she figures he probably just forgot his alarm or something. When she has knocked, ringed the doorbell and called, with hearing his phone on the other side of the door, with no answer to either the door or the phone, she feels the worry creeping back, and then turn to fear. After a few more tries she finally decides to use the spare key he gave her years ago, "just in case.." She had hoped she would never have to use it._

_As the door opened Lilly pulled out her gun and walked in to the apartment calling out; "Scotty, you here?" there was no answer, it was just quiet. Scotty's living room seemed to be in a fair enough condition, dishes from last nights dinner and a beer bottle on the coffee table, otherwise neat. There was one thing that stood out though. The pictures on the mantle. Half of them knocked over, like if someone had stumbled, or been pushed. _

_When she open the bedroom door, her eyes widened and complexion paled as she took in the room. The bed was still done, but that was the only thing somewhat normal. The window and walls had bullet holes, she counted three. The blood splattered around the hole in the wall and on the floor sent chills down Lilly's spine. Lilly had been a cop for a while and normally didn't have problem with stomaching crime scenes, but now the breakfast she had earlier wanted back up. She made it to the bathroom before emptying her stomach. When she was done she noticed that the bathroom seemed in good order, and Lilly checked the rest of the apartment. No sign of Scotty anywhere._

* * *

Rest of the morning had gone by real slow for the team. Their case was put on hold the second the words "Scotty is missing" reached the other detectives, they question neighbors for a few hours and found out one thing only, the gun fired probably had a silencer on. No one had heard anything, and those who might have seen something hadn't seen enough.

About an hour ago Boss had gotten the call, the blood belonged to Scotty. It hadn't been enough blood that that loss had killed him, but without proper compression he might still bleed out. Lilly had offered going to his parents alone, claiming she wanted them all to be ready to move if something happened. That was only partly true though. Today, now, she only wanted her partner back, and doing this with anyone, anyone not him, just wasn't an option right now.

That was what she was doing now, telling his parents. No, not doing. What she was supposed to be doing. Cause now all she did, still, was sitting looking at the house. Lilly leaned back, closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. Exited her car and headed towards the door she now wishes she never had to knock on.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

This story takes place sometime in season 7, shortly after 7x11 The Good Soldier

Disclaimer: Cold case is not mine

* * *

The sound of her knocking resounded through the house, and it did not take long before the door opened. It took Lilly a second to realize who the man, looking at her questionably, at the door was. "Mike, right?" Mike Valens gave her a nod in response, so she continued; "Detective Lilly Rush" "Scotty's partner?" Mike leaned against the door frame for support, seemingly trying to come up with a reason for her to be there that wasn't bad. With a slightly chocked voice she responded; "Yeah.. Your parents home?"

As Mike led her through the house, toward the living room, the living room that was filled with voices and laughter, she noticed the pictures in the hall. Pictures of Mike with his family, of Scotty and Elisa, of Mike and Scotty, of the whole Valens family. As she saw more and heard clearer she felt a lump form in her throat and hoped it wouldn't become too big.

Entering the living room Mike spoke up; "Lilly is here." Rosa started confused "Lil.." but broke up with a gasp when realizing. Ramiro's eyes, the ones Scotty clearly inherited, meet Lilly's, and like Mike, he seemed to be looking for some nice reason she'd be there. Lilly wondered if doing this, alone, maybe hadn't been the best idea. In the end though she managed to say it; "He, he's missing."

* * *

About an hour later, Lilly was back at her car. She had explained the situation the best she could to the Valens family, and they had thrown questions at her as soon as they recovered from the initial shock. She could feel their frustration and fear at the situation, and tried to stay positive. That wasn't easy though, cause she was damn frustrated and scared herself.

As she got in her car she idly considered cutting her hair short, so she could, more easily, pick up Scotty's habit to comb his fingers trough his hair when frustrated. Something she found herself wanting to do several times today, but finding that that don't mix great with long hair, specially not when she wears it up. She shook her head at herself and started the drive back to the team.

* * *

When Lilly walked into the squad room, Will called out to her; "Hey, Lil, we got two neighbors claiming they saw something last night"

"You mean we actually got something?" she countered thinking they had caught a break.

"We're not so sure"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's this lady, she says she saw a big guy, as in tall and strong, probably Latin or Italian, carrying something that may look like a person over his shoulder. Then there's a teenage boy, and he says that he saw a slim, short woman with brown hair supporting someone, a dark haired guy, outside"

Lilly then sighted and said frustrated: "Great, then there's like half a million people that could be our guy"

As boss noticed that Lilly was back he went out to the team and asked her: "How did it go?"

"Mike and Allie was there too. They haven't heard anything and they'll let me know if they're contacted." Boss gave her a nod, a 'well done', and she added; "They knew, you know, that something was wrong. Mike opened and knew the second I said who I was, and when he told the rest who it was at the door, they knew something happened. I just had to tell them what. We have to get him back home, Boss."

* * *

Hours later most of the detectives on the team was still at it, it was late, close to midnight. The only one not there was Kat, who had gotten a call from her mother about her daughter, Veronica, who had crashed with her bike, and was heading to the hospital. Kat had called them later to tell them Veronica had a broken wrist, but was otherwise fine, and she herself would be back to work with them bright and early tomorrow.

The guys was watching some security tapes from a restaurant down the street from Scotty's building, turned out they had cameras towards the parking, and then also the road. Now they where sitting there, three detectives and one lieutenant, hoping that the kidnapper had been driving in that direction, preferable on his/her way from Scotty, with Scotty visible, since they still felt like they had nothing to go on. All their frustrations and fears only seemed to grow with time, they knew that at best he would be hurt, and probably bad. They didn't have all the time in the world, they just hoped they wouldn't be too late.

Lilly was starting to wonder if there was anything else she could be doing to help, because her head was starting to hurt. She couldn't think of anything right now though, so she kept watching. Over the hours watching, the tapes had been stopped and rewinded to see sections again multiple times, cause one of them thought they saw something. They'd seen Scotty pass on his way home, but after spotting him, every time they 'saw' something after that, had given them nothing. So when Nick stopped and rewind ones again, there wasn't much reactions in the room, just quiet hope. Hope that this time something real had been seen.

The car Nick stopped on was a car going towards, not from Scotty's apartment. So there was no way of saying if it was relevant or just a coincident. The driver was familiar to all of them though, and fitted one of the neighbors description. Right now, that was all they needed to start moving.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Here the next chapter. The story will probably end up having only a couple more chapters after this one.

Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following and favoring. Lots of hugs from me :D

Disclaimer: Don't own them

* * *

The person seen driving towards Scotty's place last night was Frankie Rafferty. They all knew she could have been heading anywhere, and was just driving past, but they decided to pay her a visit to find out.

For all four of them to go, if it turned out to be a dead end, seemed stupid though. After pulling up Frankie's address they figured one of them should stay behind, and keep watching the tapes. If it wasn't Frankie someone else may drive by, or Frankie may drive the same road back. The Detectives soon agreed on Will staying behind at the station before heading for the parking.

* * *

Boss was driving towards Frankie's place with both Lilly and Nick in the back seat. They had both thought that the other one was going for the front seat, and in need of no wasted time and energy arguing about something that stupid, they both went in the back and had first realized when the doors closed.

"Do you think it's really her?" It was Lilly who voiced the question.

Boss met her eyes in the rear view mirror and said "I'm not sure."

"Hell, I'm not even sure whether to hope so or hope not right now." Nick said.

"Hmm. I guess it would explain how there was no forced entry, he would have opened, and even let her in. I thought they were over though." she said.

Lilly knew that Scotty and Frankie had been together and that there was a lot back and forth, how it finally ended she didn't know. She did have to admit she had been relieved when she found out, or believed, it was over for real though. The only girl he have been with that she really liked, with him, was Elisa. He was too good for the rest of them, at least that was how she felt about it. She hadn't told him that though, it was his life after all, and as long as he was happy, well, so was she.

* * *

As they stood outside Frankie's door, Lilly really hoped this was it. That they could take Scotty back with them, and wouldn't just be back at scratch. They had all decided they would just politely ask her some questions about last night and ask to take a look around her house, and take it from there. The second Frankie saw them though she went all deer eyed and pale. In response to Frankie's reaction, Lilly, instead of talking, stormed passed her, into the house, in search of her partner. Leaving Boss and Nick to deal with Frankie.

All but running trough the house Lilly looked into every room she passed. Deciding she could take a more throughout search afterwards if she had to. She found nothing on the ground floor, so she headed up the stairs. It was the third door she tried upstairs that gave her what she wanted. Scotty.

As she checked him over she saw that the bullet had gotten him in his right upper arm, and the bandage he was wearing, luckily, seemed to put good pressure on it. He was real pale though, due to the blood loss and probably the pain. What scared her most was the fact that he didn't move, he was just laying there on the bed, not responding when she said his name. She quickly realized he was still breathing though, and went over to him.

* * *

Lilly wasn't completely sure how she got from the room at Frankie's to the hospital, she just remembered a hand on her shoulder, the inside of a car and running in trough the hospital doors. After that though, everything came very clear. Scotty being pushed away to get checked out, still unconscious. Boss asking her if she wanted him to call Rosa and Ramiro, or if she was up to it. She had done it, and Rosa had answered the phone so quickly, Lilly wondered if she had been sitting guard by the phone. Maybe she had.

Will had made it to the hospital by the time the Valens family came running in, with Kat only a couple of steps behind them.

"Anything new?" Rosa ask Lilly as soon she gets trough the door on the waiting room.

Lilly just shook her head tiredly.

Allie spoke up next; "That woman, who was she?"

"And where is she now?" was soon added by Ramiro

Lilly started to answer: "Frankie, she's a lab technician, her and Scotty dated a bit back and forth. I thought they stopped for real some months ago though."

Then she asked Boss: "She say anything?"

"No, she realized it was the end of the line, and kept her mouth shut. And as for where she is, she's being booked as we speak. She is going down for this." Boss answered.

After a few minutes Kat's curiosity got to her; "So you saw her on the tape, went to talk to her, and then what?"

"We decided to play it simple and casually ask a few questions." Boss started.

Nick decided to tell the part and cut in; "But then we get there, she opens her door and look scared to see us, so Lilly decided, 'screw the plan', and stormed through the door, almost knocking Frankie over in her hurry. "

"Hey, she knew why we were there. That was all I needed to know." Lilly defends herself with.

That's when the door opened to the waiting room, and a doctor stepped in. After confirming that they were all there for Scotty, he let them know that, though he had lost a lot of blood and was unconscious, he was doing good. They had found nothing when checking him that indicated that his life was in any kind of danger. Now that his bullet wound was tended to, and he had gotten some blood transferred, all that was left was for him to wake up again.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: R&R :D

Disclaimer: They ain't mine.

* * *

After the news from the doctor, they where allowed to go see Scotty, and stay until he woke up. Lilly and Scotty's parents soon decided to send the others home to get some rest, promising to let them know if something happened. After the others had left they started talking, mostly about Scotty.

Lilly told them how cocky and full of himself she had though he was at first, and what a gentleman and trough and trough good guy she learned he really was. In return she got stories of his and Mike's mischief.

* * *

They are still talking and laughing when they hear Scotty say; "Crap."

"Scotty! You okay? What's wrong?" Lilly says, relieved and scared at the same time.

"My partner and my parents bonding, that can't go down good." He answers, eyes still closed.

"We're doing good. Ain't we Lil?" His mother says. Happy he's awake.

"Yeah. I get to hear about your childhood mischief and all"

Scotty groans. "I meant for me, Ma. And that's exactly what I was hinting at."

"Relax, it'll not leave this room. Well, most of it anyway. Cause I'm sure the guys would love the story about you swearing to marry some girl you only just saw once."

He opens his eyes to look at Lilly, and with a slight smile he says; "In my defense; I was seven, and she was absolutely beautiful."

Ramiro then asks; "What happened Scotty?"

"You where there Pops. I thought you'd remember." Scotty pointed out.

"Not the girl thing, the getting shoot and kidnapped thing."

"Oh, right, that."

* * *

_The night of the kidnapping:_

_Scotty is sitting on the couch in front of the TV, the highlights of a game on the screen. He has apparently just finished his dinner, his empty plate in front of him and the beer bottle in his hand. As he takes a swig of his beer, there's a knock on the door. Sighting he looks at his watch, 10.30 PM._

_He says "Coming", puts down the bottle, turn the TV off and goes to the door._

_When he opens the door he sees Frankie standing there, seeming a bit uncomfortable._

"_Hey, uhm, what are you doing here?" He questions. Cause after all they broke it of months ago, and he thought he had been pretty clear. It was really over._

"_Hey. I just can't find this necklace my dad gave me, and this is the only place I haven't looked. Would you mind?" She explains nervously._

_He frown, and says; "I'd probably already found it if it was here. Where would it be if it's here?"_

"_Nightstand, I guess," is her answer._

"_Okay. I'll check. Just a sec." He walks towards his bedroom to have a look._

_As he's walking to the room he hear the door close behind him. When he reaches the nightstand he finds nothing, as he suspected. He turns to head back to Frankie only to find that she had followed him into his bedroom. Standing way too close. Moving even closer. When he tells her there was nothing there, she just shrugs and says that she already knew that. Then she kisses him._

_Scotty pushes her away quickly saying;"I told you, it's over, Frankie."_

"_And I told you, you are making a mistake, a big one." Anger's seeping into her voice. The anger quickly growing, she pulls out a gun._

"_Come on, Frankie, you don't want to do that." He says, trying to sound calm._

"_No one gets to tell me no!" She hiss at him, and fire two shots trough his window. Scotty sees that as an opportunity to unarm her, and moves forward. He isn't quick enough. A third shot is fired and gets Scotty in his right arm._

* * *

Scotty wasn't completely clear on what happened after that, cause he had lost blood so quick he was quite dizzy. He remembered Frankie fussing, putting on a bandage, them getting up, him falling over in the living room, knocking down pictures. At the house Frankie had been by his room, checked on him, feed him and otherwise left him alone. At least from what Scotty could recall. He figured she might have panicked some when he ended up only partly conscious.

* * *

As Scotty finished telling what happened, Lilly decides to go let the doctor know he is awake, and then make the calls she had promised as she sent the others home, calls to them. She excuse herself. As she leaves his hospital room, she sees the watch on the wall, 7.30 AM, and realize it's less then 24 hours since she discovered Scotty was missing. It feels like it's been days.

When she returns to Scotty's room, she sees Rosa and Ramiro is standing outside the door. Looking nervous. As Lilly looks inside the room she sees why. Looks like the detectives who's dealing with the charges are there, and Scotty seems uncomfortable and annoyed with the whole situation. Luckily the detectives didn't stay that long, and they were let back in.

Scotty speaks up as they walk trough the door; "She came clean, and will go down for shooting, kidnapping along with life endangerment. Then she asked them to tell me that she was sorry. She's a pain in the ass."

"I second that. What the doctor say?" Lilly says.

"They are going to keep me overnight, so they can keep an eye on me. I don't need no babysitter." came the annoyed answer.

"Why don't you stop complaining like a baby then." She says with a chuckle. The surprised smile on Scotty's face turned her chuckle into a proper laugh, and Rosa and Ramiro joined in to. Everything was going to be fine, Scotty was still alive.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I was thinking to end it with an epilogue after the last chapter. Turns out it will be one more chapter after this though, at least I think just one. So it's kinda gonna be a two-part epilogue.

Hope you enjoy

Disclaimer: They're not mine.

* * *

After the whole kidnapping thing the cold case detectives had been invited to celebrate Scotty's birthday, and life, together with the Valens family. Their plan to make him a surprise party was then put on hold till another year. They where now all on their way to the celebration, looking forward to seeing Scotty again. They had not seen Scotty since he left the hospital, him being on leave and all.

* * *

As they're walking up Rosa and Ramiro's driveway they hear music and loud voices from inside.

"Sounds like we're not the only ones coming" Will says.

"Anyone say we were?"

Lil reaches the door first and just walks right on in."What, you don't knock?"

"Like anyone would have heard that." She smirks at him. "Not to mention that Rosa told me that we should just come in when we got here"

When they get to the living room, they are met by about thirty people, standing around talking and laughing. It doesn't take long for Ramiro to see and move over to them.

"Hey. And welcome to our home." They all greets him in return.

Lilly is about to ask for Scotty when he comes, stumbling backwards out of the kitchen.

"Damn it, Mike! That's not nice. Mom! Mike pushed me. On my birthday!"

They hears Rosa's voice from the kitchen. "Mike, be nice." Scotty smirks at his brother, but Rosa isn't done saying her part. "Scotty, go entertain your guest."

"But Mom.."

"Now, Scotty."

"Didn't know you were such a baby," Nick says.

Scotty turns around and sees them for the first time. "You made it. How much did you guys hear?"

"From the snitching" Kat says with a smirk, which is soon matched by the rest of the team.

* * *

The evening is spent talking, laughing and being introduced to a lot of Scotty's family. Rosa have seemed to have taken it as her task to make sure everyone gets to meet Scotty's partner, so Lilly have been going, at times almost dragged, trough the room to talk with everyone, which take some time. After that she, Nick and Kat ends up standing chatting with some of Scotty's cousins, trading stories, and enjoying themselves. Boss seems to have found an interesting conversation, and stays with Ramiro and one of Scotty's uncles practically all night. And Will have found himself a nice spot on the couch together with Rosa's sister and her husband.

It is almost midnight when the first people starts to head out, and as the Valens home is slowly becoming less crowded, Lilly figures she might be able to talk with Scotty a bit to. They have talked over the phone since the hospital, but she wants to talk to him face to face. To see how he is really doing. She soon realize he isn't in the living room, and starts to look around.

* * *

She finds him standing outside at the patio, leaning on the rail. As she walks over she says "There's the birthday kid."

"Technically not my birthday anymore." He answers. At her questioning look, he adds; "Past midnight."

She chuckles. "Does that make it okay for you to hide away out here?"

"Does it make it okay for you to pick on me?" He says with a grin.

As she reaches him, she turns and sits on the railing beside him."I was real scared, you know."

He looks at her. "Yeah? Me too." He admits.

Sighting he looks up at the stars. "Maybe I should just give it up."

"Give up what?" Lil asks curious.

"Dating. It only brings trouble anyway"

She raise a brow in surprise. "You're such a pessimist, you know that" Scotty looks back at her again and she continues: "You don't think marriage is in the card for us"

"With the hours we're keeping. People must be half crazy to want that." He puts in.

"And now dating too." She finishes as he shrugs.

Still sitting on the railing, looking down at her feet, Lilly speaks up again; "I still believe in it, you know, that there is someone out there who would settle for me. I'm not sure I'll ever meet him, or that I wouldn't mess it up somehow though. But you. You're talking like you wouldn't even bother to try making it work."

"I know there was someone. I just don't know if there'll be anyone else."

"So you don't believe in a second chance at love, that it?" She looks at him trying to find out what he means.

"It's more that I.." He looks away from her, and continues; " I have fallen in love again, I just can't even dream of her loving me back. And a third shoot at love?" He shrugs. "I just don't know."

"You're in love? Who is she?" She asks after a beat. When he gives her a shy smile in return, she knows he wont tell her who, not now anyhow. Honestly, she ain't even sure she really wants to know. "Why wouldn't she be able to love you, you're the greatest guy I know. Any girl should be lucky to get you."

He looks at her. "Would you?"

"Would I, what?"

"Be able to l.." He stops himself, clears his throat and shake his head. Then he points out; "Just cause someone thinks I'm great, even if she does think that, it doesn't mean she loves me"

He takes a deep breath, stands up straight, says "I should go back," and starts to walk back inside. As he walks away Lilly stays behind trying to make sense of what just happened. Thinking of what may lay behind his words, and what it may mean.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Sorry, guys. Thought the chapter was really up. Now it really is. Thank you Little dark starling for letting me know :)

Thank to all of you for reading, reviewing, following and favoring. I hope you will enjoy this last part too.

R&R

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

* * *

She can't believe it. He almost asked her if she could love him. Does he want her to. Is it because she is that girl. Or did he stop himself asking because she isn't. Does she really need to know that if she doesn't want to be her?

That brings her to a even more important question: Does she want to be the girl he loves, does she want him, like that? Like more than a friend. Would she be able to love him? Does she love him already? She knows she have never liked him dating, and she also knows part of the reason behind that was jealousy. Jealousy that she wasn't his number one, his top priority. She always put that down to the fact that not being first always seemed to put her last, that when she wasn't number one she ended up alone, left behind. He is her best friend, and she loves and trusts him. Him dating made her fear to lose him. It always seemed so easy to believe that was all there was to it.

After almost losing him for real, it isn't so easy to call it off like that anymore, though. The fear, the fact she hadn't even wanted to work with her friends when he was gone. How bad she missed him, not to mention how utterly relived she was when she learned he was really going to be okay. Was all that only feelings for a friend?

She has always known that he's a good looking guy, no denying that. But he has always been her partner too. Dating your partner is got to be ill advised. So whenever she felt that physical attraction, she just pushed it aside. Well, the best she could. Sometimes she would wonder how it would feel to act on that impulse. To act on an impulse like that could change her life as she knew it, and for the first time she is thinking, maybe for the better.

The more she is thinking about it, the more she starts to see that she wants more. Almost need more. It's not just physical, she would love to just be able to walk home with him by her side after work, to watch a ridiculous movie with him, to sit at a bench at some park beside him talking or just siting quiet. She wants to have him look at her like she is his whole world. She wants to hold his hand and to lean on him when things are tough. Not that she thinks that will be easy, but she wants to try.

As she realize this, she knows. She knows she doesn't want to be detective Rush, his partner. She doesn't want to be Lil, his friend. She wants to be Lil, his girl, his lover. Cause she doesn't just know he's attractive and a great guy, she actually truly loves him.

* * *

She is still in deep thought about what she has realized when she hears his voice. "You still out here?"

She looks over to him. "Hmm.."

"You've been out here for more than an hour, Lil. Something wrong?"

" An hour?" She answers slightly surprised. "I guess I just lost track of time."

" What where you doing out here anyway?" He questions.

" I came looking for you remember?"

" Why did you stay out here then?"

She smiles. "Just thinking"

"About?"

"Some of the things you said."

He frowns. "Like?"

She looks at him, searching. "You almost asked me if I could love you. Wondering why you almost did, and why you actually didn't."

"Does it have to be a reason." He nervously shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

"Have to? No." She says. "I still think there was one though"

"Lil.." He says, almost pleading for her to leave it alone.

"Then I wondered what the answer would have been."

"You don't have to.."

She turns her eyes towards the house. "You don't think I could, do you? I am not unable to love, Scotty"

At her words, he looks at her, scared she really believe he thinks that. "It's not that I don't think you can love, Lil, it's just, it's me. And.. I don't know"

"Can you tell me one thing?" She looks back at him.

"Sure, what?"

"And I want the truth." He nods. She takes a deep breath, and asks "Who is she?"

He pauses. Looking up at the moon. "Can't you ask something else?"

She smiles a bit at his non answer. Then she asks what she really wants to know. "Is she.. Am I her?"

As the seconds pass by, with no sound but the sound of the wind around them, she is trying to read his reaction. Willing him to say something, willing him to say yes. Cause even though she have come to the conclusion that she loves him, she doesn't want to bring that to the table, not unless he wants her to.

He combs his fingers trough his hair, sighting. That's when it hits her. He wouldn't have a problem answering no. He wouldn't need to find the courage to tell her that she is his friend and he loves her as one, but not more. She really is her. Scotty is in love with her. So she gets down from the railing and put her left hand on his arm.

He looks anywhere but straight at her. "Scotty?" She questions, wanting to hear him say it.

"I.." He is struggling to find the words. The words she is asking for, but he doesn't think she wants.

She puts her other hand on his face, making him look at her in surprise. Moving even closer to him, till she can feel his breath on her face. "I think.." She stops, trying, but failing, to make her frantic heart slow down. "No. I know. I'm in love with you, Scotty."

She hears his breath hitch as she closes her eyes, moving closer, and then her lips catches his and she's kissing him. It takes him only a split second to realize what just happened. Then he slips his right hand around her waist, places the left on the side of her neck, and he pulls her flush against him as he kisses her back. When they pull away they're both breathing heavily, blushing.

He pushes a strand of her hair away from her smiling face, a bright smile on his too. "I'm in love with you too, Lil."


End file.
